Storm-front for vehicles.



A. K; FELTON.

STORM FRONT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FI LED JULY 24,1907.

Q I i a GIZM/EZ'TUFSE/Q.

PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

2 SHBETBSKEET 1.

UNITED sTAr s PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY K. FELTON, OF SMITI-IVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO 0. A. RHODES, OF

SMITHVILLE, OHIO.

STORM-FRONT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed July 24. 1907. Serial No. 385397- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY K. FELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smithville, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storm-Fronts for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in storm-fronts for vehicles, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a generally-improved device of this class which will be exceedingly simple in construction,

cheap of manufacture, efficient in use, and much better adapted to its intended purposes than any other device of the same class with which I am acquainted.

With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1, is a side elevation of a bugg -body and top, equipped with a storm-front embodying my invention, the improved. front being in its normal or operative position. Fig. 2, a similar view of the improved storm-front removed or disconnected from the buggy-body and top. Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the stormfront in its open position within the buggytop for the ingress or egress of the occupant. Fig. 4, a front elevation of the improved storm-front in its closed or operative position. Fig. 5, a side elevation of the same in its open position and disconnected from the buggy-body and top. Fig. 6, a detail view of the pivoted connection and mounting, the parts being shown in their normal or operative position. Fig. 7, a similar view of the same in open position. Fig. 8, a perspective view of the inner side of the movable section of the improved storm-front, showing one of the combined operating-handles and cornerbraces.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

The improved storm-front, primarily, comprise a movable section and a stationary section or base supportingframe, the latter comprising a base-box or body portion 1, adapted to rest and fit within the front portion of the buggy-body or box 2, intermediate, the seat 3, and the dash-board 4, and an auxiliary dash-board 5, at the rear and extending upwardly beyond the dash-board 4,

proper, and provided with side walls 6, having downwardly and rearwardly-curved upper edges 7. Side supporting-arms 8, extend upwardly from the body portion 1, and are provided at their rear with rearwardlyextending side wings 9, and at their front edge with a groove 10, to receive and take over the edges of the side walls or wings of the movable section to be hereinafter described. A yoke-frame or bow portion 11, conforming to the contour of the front bow 12, of the buggy-top 18, extends upwardly and is inclined forwardly from the side wings 9, and supporting-arms 8, said yoke-frame or bow portion being adapted to fit within and flush with the front edge of the front bow 12, and the front edge 13 of the buggy-top and to be securely locked and retained therein by the lock of the side rods or arms 14, of the buggy-top.

The movable section comprises a suitable steel frame 15, covered with waterproof fabric of the usual material employed for buggy or carriage curtains, forming a storm-front, proper, 16, with side wings or walls 17, loaving intermediate their lower or curved edge portions 18, and below the front 16, a recess or dashboardopening 19, adapted to receive, take over. and contain the auxiliary dashboard portion 5, of the stationary section, said curved edge 18, conforming substantially to the contour of the edges 7, of the side walls 6, and, preferably, overlapping the same slightly. The storm front 16, and marginal ends of the auxiliary dash-board 5, are provided. with sight-openings 20, covered with transparent material 21, (see Fig. 4), preferably celluloid, or other suitable and convenient flexible material. If desired, similarly covered sight openings may be formed in the side wings or walls"17.

The movable section is adapted to be swung into and out of the buggy-top and into and out of its normal or closed position by having its frame 15, at the angled portion thereof, substantially midway of its extreme pointed ends, pivotally-mounted and secured to the upper ends of the supportingarms 8, by means of pivot-pins 22, the ex treme end or upper portion 16 of the stormfront when returned within the buggy-top being adapted to take into and rest within a recess or offset-opening 23, formed between the seat-back 24, and the rear strips or curtains 25, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, of the drawings.

The top of the auxiliary dash-board 5, is provided at each side with buffer or stop blocks 26, and an intermediate ofiset-recess to receive the lines of the driver so that when the movable section is moved forwardly to its normal or closed position with the lower edge of the storm-front 16, abutting or resting upon the stop-blocks 26, an elongated slot-opening 27, is formed for the lines (see Fig. 4). It will thus be seen that the reins or lines of the driver need not be moved or shifted when the movable section is being moved from open to closed position and vice versa, while with most of the storm-fronts or aprons now on the market it is necessary to pass the reins or lines into and out of slot openings when adjusting the parts to their closed and open positions, thus occasioning considerable inconvenience and annoyance, especially in the case of a vicious or ungovernable animal. Furthermore, should the horse become frightened, the driver may readily grasp a handle, hereinafter described, located on the inner side of the movable section and quickly move or return it to its open position within the buggy-top, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, of the drawings, thus giving a clear and unobstructed view and a free use of the reins. It will also be observed that the stationary section or base-supporting-frame may be readily and quickly placed in position without changing the present structure of vehicles in the least degree, and without the use of fastening devices of any kind. It will also be seen that the movable section is entirely disconnected from the buggy-top, being pivotally-connected to the upper ends of the supportingarms 8, of the stationary section, preferably by means of what may be termed a doublecenter, whereby less room is required for the returning of the movable section within the buggy-top, especially at the rear of the seat-back 24-, as well as imparting an improved movement to the movable section. This "double center, is formed by means of a substantially semi-circular plate 28, formed integral with the frame 16, at the angled portion thereof, said plate being provided with a slightly curved slot 29, extending from the center of the plate 28, and designed to receive the main pivot-pin 22, and a second curved or circumferential slot 30, designed to receive a second pivot-pin 31, mounted below said pin 22, and at the rear edge of the arm 8.

When the movable section is being moved from its closed or normal position to its open position, the movable section will move upon and be supported by the main pin 22, or first center, until the second-pin 31, reaches the other or opposite end of the slot 30, (the extreme end or upper portion 16, of the storm front having approached to a position near the rear of the buggy-top and just above the seat-back 24), when the second center on the second pin 31, is assumed, the pin 22, moving in the slot 29, to the other or opposite end thereof, the end 16*, of the storm-front dropping or moving in a substantially vertical line into the recess-opening 23, at the rear of the seat-back. The two positions of the pins and slots of the pivotal connection, just referred to, are shown most clearly in Figs. 6, and 7, of the drawings.

The guide-members 32, at the top of the auxiliary dash-board 5, and at each end of the slot-opening 27, are adapted to direct and maintain the lower end of the stormfront immediately above the upper edge of the dash-board 5.

A combined operating-handle and cornerbrace 38, is mounted in each corner of the movable section, as shown in Fig. 8, by means of which the section may be readily moved into and out of its closed or operative position. It will also be observed that when the movable section is in its closed or normal position, the storm-front and the side wings or walls form conjointly with the auxiliary dash-board and side walls of the stationary section, respectively, a closed or cab-front for the vehicle.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be made, or all the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a stationary section carrying a pivotally movable section each having a front and side walls adapted to meet and form conjointly a cab-front when said movable section is in its normal position.

2. A storm-front, for vehicles comprising a stationary section having a front and side walls provided with arms carrying a movable section provided with a front and side walls adapted to form rear and side walls, respectively, within the vehicle-top when in its open position and to meet and form conjointly with said front and side walls of said stationary section, respectively, a cab-front when in its closed or normal position.

3. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a stationary supporting-frame with an auxiliary dashboard, and a pivotally-mounted swinging section carried by said supportingframe and adapted to be swung outwardly and downwardly from within the carriagetop to meet said auxiliary dash-board and normally close the front of said carriage-top.

same

4. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a stationary supporting-frame provided with an auxiliary dash-board and upwardly-extending side supporting-arms, and a swinging section pivotally-secured to said side supporting-arms and provided at its front with a recess-opening adapted to receive and take over said auxiliary dash-board when said section is swung forward to its normal or closed position.

5. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a supporting-frame provided with an auxiliary dash-board and side walls having curved upper edges and side supporting-arms, and a movable section pivotally-secured to said supporting-arms and comprising a stormfront provided with wings normally meeting with said dash-board and side walls, respectively, and forming conjointly therewith a closed or cab-front.

6. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a supporting-frame provided with an auxiliary dash-board having side walls provided with downwardly and rearwardly curved edges and side supporting-arms terminating at their upper ends at a central position relative to said curved edge, and a section piv otally-secured to the upper ends of said arms and consisting of a storm-front provided with wings or side walls having curved edges corresponding in contour to the curved edges of the side walls of said supporting-frame.

7. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a stationary section consisting of an auxiliary dash-board and side walls provided with supporting-arms, and a movable section pivotally-mounted midway of its ends to said supporting-arms and consisting of a stormfront and side walls or wings normally meeting with said dashboard and side walls of said stationary section and forming con- .jointly therewith a closed or cab-front.

8. A storm-front for vehicles, comprising a stationary section or base-supporting-frame consisting of support1ng-arms provlded with rearwardly-extending side wlngs and an up- WaI'dly6Xl3eD.dlng yoke-frame or bowportion, and a base body portion provided with side walls and an auxiliary dash-board; and a movable section pivotally-mounted on said able section pivotally-mounted substantially midway of its extreme ends within the front portion of the vehicle-top and comprising a storm-front provided with side wings or walls having curved lower edges affording an intermediate recess or dash-board-opening below said storm-front, said movable section being adapted to be moved within said vehicle-top whereby said storm-front is positioned at the rear of said vehicle-top and said side wings or walls within the sides thereof.

11. In a storm-front for vehicles, a movable section pivotally-mounted intermediate its ends in front of and adapted to swing within the vehicle-top and comprising a storm-front provided with side wings having downwardly and rearwardly curved edges extending beyond said storm-front leaving an intermediate dash-board-opening below said storm-front. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ANTHONY K. FELTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY M. KIEFER, JosEPH R. HARTZLER. 

